Rapid can former



Dec. 3, 1968 w. R. MASTER 3,413,835

RAPID CAN FORMER Filed Aug. 5, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. WESLEY R. MAsrEg? B W4? Q ATTORNEYS W. R. MASTER Dec. 3, 1968 RAPID CAN FORMER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 5, 1966 R O T m V m WESLEY R. MASTER B WK; gA Wg ATTORNEYS nited States Patent Office 3,413,835 Patented Dec. 3, 1968 3,413,835 RAPID CAN FORMER Wesley 1R. Master, Wauwatosa, Wis., assignor to Applied Power Industries, Inc., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Aug. 5, 1966, Ser. No. 570,534 Claims. (Cl. 72-361) This invention relates generally to a material-forming device and more particularly to a device for forming articles from sheet material at high speeds.

Prior art machines, of the general type to which this invention pertains, generally include means to perform sequential operations on sheet material to provide a resultant formed article. This invention is particularly adapted, and is hereinafter specifically described, as applied to a can-forming machine wherein a reciprocatory male die cooperates with a female die to deform sheet material into the proper configuration and wherein an intermittent feed device provides feeding of the sheet material between the forming action of the dies.

Heretofore it has been common in the prior art to provide proper sequential actuation of the respective parts of a forming machine of the above type by the use of expensive and complicated ca-ms, microswitches, rotating electrical switches or the like. In a high-speed machine of the type to which this invention is particularly adapted, sequencing is important in that actuation of the respective portions of the machine must occur in a proper time relationship or the device will malfunction. Furthermore, in high-speed machines, large inertial loads caused and high surface speeds cause a high degree of wear to be imposed on the prior-art-type sequencing mechanisms so that constant readjustment and/or replacement of parts is required.

It is an object of this invention to furnish a can-forming machine wherein sequential operations are performed on material in a manner that avoids the disadvantages of the prior art by providing a power source in combination with the forming device wherein the power source inherently furnishes the proper sequencing for the device.

It is another object of this invention to provide a forming machine of the type described wherein a multi-pumping unit hydraulic pump is utilized as the power source and wherein fiow from the output of the pump is split and directed to independent operations of the device to provide both the drive and the required sequencing of operations in a multiple-sequence cycle.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a multiple-sequence material forming device wherein the sequences are timed by utilizing partial outputs of a multipumping unit hydraulic pump.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a multiple-sequence material forming device powered by split flow from a multi-pumping unit hydraulic pump in which the power delivered to the respective components of the machine may be apportioned according to the individual power requirements thereof by suitable manifolding of the pumping units or by providing a multipumping unit wherein the units are configured to deliver different volumetric outputs according to the requirements of the component to which that unit delivers flow.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art by reference to the following detailed description when viewed in light of the accompanying drawings wherein like components are indicated by like numerals throughout the figures thereof and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic view in perspective of a device embodying the teachings of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged elevational view in section of a portion of the device of FIGURE 1 illustrating the device in operation; and

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the device at a later stage of operation.

Referring now specifically to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, the invention is characterized by a pair of stationary members and 10b (including female dies 12a and 12b) disposed in opposed spaced relationship. A pair of male dies 16a and 16b, mounted on opposite ends of a common reciprocatory shaft 18, are disposed between the female dies 12a and 12b. The shaft 18 is driven by a hydraulic reciprocatory device 20 to bring the male dies 16a and 16b into alternate cooperation with the corresponding female dies to form material disposed therebetween as will be described in more detail below. The device 20 is of the type described in United States Patent 3,115,751 to McGee issued Dec. 31, 1963, and consists generally of a piston disposed in a hydraulic cylinder, which piston is reciprocated by alternate application of hydraulic pressure to either end of the cylinder. The device 20 is actuated by application of hydraulic pressure alternately to the ends of the cylinder contained therein through a first and a second drive conduits 22 and 24 respectively. The conduits 22 and 24 are connected to the output of a multi-pumping unit hydraulic pump 26 so that pressure is delivered in series first to the conduit 22 and then to the conduit 24 to provide reciprocation of the male die members 16a and 16b, first to the right and then to the left as shown in the figure. As in the aforementioned McGee patent the invention will be shown and described in connection with a multi-piston, axial-type pump but it should be understood that other types of multi-pumping unit pumps as well as separate pumps may be used as long as separate flows are directed to the reciprocable devices described hereinafter and these fiows are synchronized or phased relative to one another so that the desired sequencing is obtained. The operation of the device as thus far described is more fully detailed in the aforementioned McGee patent and it will sufiice for the purposes of the description of this invention to state that the device 20 reciprocates the male dies 16a and 16b in alternating directions, and by a perfectly phased sequential application of pressures through the inherent characteristics of the pump unit 26. The stroke of the device 20 is such that the male die members 1611 and 16b enter into their corresponding female die members 12a and 12b to a sufiicient degree to provide the proper formation of articles as will be described below.

It should also be understood that the conduits 22 and 24 carry, in equally divided quantities, only a portion of the total output of the pump unit 26.

Material supply means comprising rolls of strip sheet material 28a and 28b are mounted proximate the stationary members 10a and 10b respectively and are positioned to feed the sheet material through guide means 301: and 30b mounted on or proximate the female dies 12a and 12b respectively.

Feed devices, indicated generally at 32a and 32b are mounted proximate the rolls of sheet material 28a and 28b respectively and function to feed the sheet material toward the female dies 12a and 12b, The feed means comprise hydraulic reciprocatory devices 34a and 34b of the same general type as disclosed in the aforementioned McGee patent and referred to above in connection with the reciprocatory device, which drive feed fingers 35a and 36b. The feed fingers are formed and disposed to engage the sheet material from rolls 28a and 28b in such a manner that the sheet material is fed incrementally toward the female dies 12a and 12b as the fingers 36a and 36b are reciprocated towards these dies but which slide back over the sheet material as they are reciprocated away from the dies. Fingers of the type described above are common in the prior art and it should be understood that any suitable member could be substituted for those described to provide the feed movement of the material. The devices 34a and 34b are modifications of the device described in the aforementioned Mc- Gee patent only insofar as work is performed on only one stroke of the reciprocatory motion thereof. For purposes of illustration the devices are shown with free shafts 38a and 38b extending from the non-working side of the cylinder. Weights or other suitable structure may be attached to the shafts 38a and 38b to provide proper mass balance for the system if so required.

It should be noted that the device will usually require more power than the feed devices 32a and 32b. In order to provide more fluid volume to the device 20, drive conduits 22 and 24 may be manifolded to more than one piston in the pump 26 or the pump may be constructed with piston-cylinder combinations of larger size to feed these conduits.

Referring now more specifically to FIGURE 2 of the drawings, means for removing cans from the male die after formation thereof are illustrated in detail. Elements for removing the formed cans have been omitted from FIGURE 1 for purposes of clarity. In the embodiment shown, these means consist of a series of air jets 40, 42 and 44 situated in the female die, proximate the male die and proximate the exterior of the female die respectively as illustrated. Strippers 46 are located proximate the path of the male die and disposed in such a manner as to engage a formed can 48 from the male die 16 as it moves away from the female die 12 in the direction shown by the arrow.

In operation, the can removal device functions as fol lows: With the air jets and 44 actuated either continuously or sequentially by a source of air pressure (not shown), the male die 16 moves into the female die punching and forming the material 28 which had heretofore been disposed across the face of the female die around the sides thereof. On withdrawal of the male die 16, the air jet 40 insures that the formed can 48 remains with the male die. Referring now to FIGURE 3, the edges of the can 48 have been engaged by the strippers 46 as the die 16 moves therepast, thereby restraining the can from further movement with the male die 16 and causing removal thereof. At this point the airflow from the jet 42 acts on the can 48 forcing it upwardly toward the position of the can 50. At this point the can 50 comes under the influence of the jet 44 and is moved toward the position of the can 52 from whence it may be moved toward a suitable receptable (not shown).

Returning now to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, it should be obvious that some sequential relationship between the operation of the feed devices 32a and 32b and the forming operation of the dies as driven by the reciprocatory member is required in that feed motion should be terminated prior to the forming step and vice versa. This sequencing is accomplished, in this invention, by connecting the feed devices 32a and 32b to the remaining output portion of the hydraulic pump unit 26 in such a manner that pressure is transmitted to the feed devices in sequence with pressure transmissions to the reciprocatory device 20 through the conduits 22 and 24. This is achieved by connecting, in the illustrated embodiment, the next succeeding output portion of the pump 26 to the reciprocatory device 34b through a conduit 54b and the return side of that device to the next succeeding pressure output through a conduit 5611 while the power stroke of the reciprocatory device 34a is connected to the next succeeding pressure output point in the pump 26 through a conduit 54a and the return portion thereof through a conduit 56a.

In operation it will be seen thatby sequential application of the pulse output of the individual or combined pistons of the pump 26, various components of the device will be operated in sequence dictated by the inherent sequential output of the pump.

Starting with rotation of the pump 26 so that pressure is initially applied to the conduit 22, the hydraulic reciprocatary device 20 will first actuate the male die 16b and drive it into the female die 12b. Following next in line of pressure application, pressure will be applied through the conduit 24 to drive the male die 16a into the female die 12a. Next in line of sequential application of pressure is conduit 54b which will cause the feed finger 36b to be driven toward the female die 12b thereby advancing the sheet material from roll 28b to cover that female die. Sequential application following to conduit 56b will cause the feed finger 36b to return to its original position. Next in line, sequential application of pressure is directed to conduit 54a, the pressure therethrough driving the feed finger 36a toward the female die 12a, thereby advancing the sheet material from the roll 28a to cover the female die. Final sequential application of pressure will be through line 56a which will cause the feed finger 36a to return to its initial position whereupon the above described sequence will be repeated with the material covering the respective dies to form cans around the male die members as they are reciprocated thereagainst. It should be understood that all of the above described sequence is preferred, the various conduits could be hooked in ways other than those specifically described to achieve the same results with a different sequence or cycle.

As was described above, in the operation of the canremoving device, the cans formed on the male dies are removed by the strippers 46 and airjets 40 through 44 on each return stroke of the male die 16a or 16b (FIGS. 2 and 3).

What has been set forth above is intended primarily as examplary of a teaching in accordance with the invention to enable those skilled in the art in the practice thereof. It should therefore be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described. What is new and therefore desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A can-forming machine comprising:

a reciprocatory device for driving at least one movable die;

a stationary die disposed and configured to cooperate with said movable die during reciprocation thereof to form material disposed therebetween;

a feed device disposed to feed material between said aforementioned dies;

a multi-pumping unit hydraulic pump having the output from its pumping units split into a plurality of conduits; and

at least a pair of said conduits connected to said reciprocatory device to provide reciprocation therefor and at least another of said conduits being connected to said feed device to provide sequential phased operation thereof with respect to the operation of said reciprocatory device.

2. A machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said feed device comprises a second reciprocatory device disposed to engage and feed said material during one stroke of the reciprocation thereof and wherein a second pair of said conduits are connected to said second reciproactory device to provide sequential phased reciprocation therefor.

3. A machine in accordance with claim 1 wherein said reciprocatory device drives a movable die disposed at the ends thereof, each of said movable dies cooperating with a corresponding stationary die at the extreme reciprocatory movement of said reciprocatory device.

4. A machine in accordance with claim 3 wherein said feed device comprises a second reciprocatory device disposed to engage and feed said material during one stroke of the reciprocation thereof and wherein a second pair of said conduits are connected to said second reciprocatory device to provide sequential phased reciprocation therefor.

5. A machine for performing sequential operations on material comprising:

a first-work means to periodically work material and a second independent work means to Work said material in sequential relationship With the working of said first working means;

a multi-pumping unit hydraulic pump having the output from its pumping units split into a plurality of conduits;

at least a first of said conduits connected to said first 6 work means to provide periodic operation therefor; and at least another of said conduits connected to said second Work means to provide sequential phased operation thereof with respect to the operation of said first work means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,115,751 12/1963 McGee 6052 3,167,044 1/1965 Henrickson 72349 RICHARD J. HERBST, Primary Examiner. 

1. A CAN FORMING MACHINE COMPRISING: A RECIPROCATORY DEVICE FOR DRIVING AT LEAST ONE MOVABLE DIE; A STATIONARY DIE DISPOSED AND CONFIGURED TO COOPERATE WITH SAID MOVABLE DIE DURING RECIPROCATION THEREOF TO FORM MATERIAL DISPOSED THEREBETWEEN; A FEED DEVICE DISPOSED TO FEED MATERIAL BETWEEN SAID AFOREMENTIONED DIES; A MULTI-PUMPING UNIT HYDRAULIC PUMP HAVING THE OUTPUT FROM ITS PUMPING UNITS SPLIT INTO A PLURALITY OF CONDUITS; AND 